Hozier Returns with New Music After Four Years

I was browsing through Spotify’s New Music Friday playlist when I stumbled across Hozier’s new song, “Almost (Sweet Music)” and I instantly fell in love. Ever since his rise to fame with his hit single, “Take Me To Church” in 2013, he has somewhat fallen off the map. But he’s back! And his music is even better than before (which is pretty impressive because I absolutely loved his first self-titled album.

The most recent release from his 2nd album, “Almost (Sweet Music)”, starts out with a catchy guitar riff that sounds almost exactly like Alec Benjamin’s “Let Me Down Slowly.” It has a very chill, but intriguing vibe. Hozier’s music has always been very rooted in indie rock, folk and soul. “Almost (Sweet Music” has a very wide chorus and boomy drum. The bass is very much drawn from the blues and funk.

I’ve always LOVED Hozier’s vocals. His voice is so rich and soothing, which is perfect for his soulful style. In “Almost (Sweet Music)”, he uses multiple layers of background vocals to creatively complement the chorus by using very gospel-like harmonies.

It’s also definitely worth mentioning that the lyrics are extremely well-written and beautiful. Hozier pays homage to many great jazz musicians of the past by referencing them and their song titles, including Duke Ellington, Chet Baker and Miles Davis.

Hozier is an absolute genius and I highly recommend listening to his new songs if you love James Bay, Vance Joy, Seafret or The Lumineers.

Wasteland, Baby! is set to release on March 1st, 2019. But for now, you can listen to some of the tracks here: